Book Review: Better than the Movies by Lynn Painter
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Looking for a young adult, fluffy romantic comedy book? This one is better than the movies!
After joining #booktok and #bookstagram, I saw the hype for Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter and wanted in on it.
I was finally able to check out the book from my library on the Libby app and dove right in! Here are my honest thoughts about the book Better Than the Movies.
Perpetual daydreamer Liz Buxbaum gave her heart to Michael a long time ago. But her cool, aloof forever crush never really saw her before he moved away. Now that he’s back in town, Liz will do whatever it takes to get on his radar – and maybe snag him as a prom date – even befriend Wes Bennet.
The annoyingly attractive next-door neighbor might seem like a prime candidate for romantic-comedy fantasies, but Wes has only been a pain in Liz’s butt since they were kids. Pranks involving frogs and decapitated lawn gnomes do not a potential boyfriend make. Yet, somehow, Wes and Michael are hitting it off, which means Wes is Liz’s in.
But as Liz and Wes scheme to get Liz noticed by Michael so she can have her magical prom moment, she’s shocked to discover that she likes being around Wes. And as they continue to grow closer, she must reexamine everything she thought she knew about love – and rethink her own ideas of what happily ever after should look like.
Summary: Better than the Movies by Lynn Painter
The book revolves around Liz Buxbaum, a high school student who is rom-com movie obsessed and can’t wait for her own love story to unfold. Unfortunately, no one in her school catches her eye and she starts to lose hope of ever finding her perfect prom date.
Luckily, Michael, her childhood crush, has returned to finish the last few months of high school. Liz can’t believe that she might actually have her happily ever after!
The more she talks with Michael, the more she realizes that he still sees her as that little kid he used to play with. Noticing that Michael has become buddy-buddy with Wes, their mutual childhood friend and Liz’s next-door neighbor, Liz decides she must become close to Wes.
The only thing is, he’s not just her next-door neighbor. Wes has been taunting and teasing Liz since they were young. Will she overcome her dislike for him and ask for his help?
My Thoughts: Better than the Movies by Lynn Painter
I love the tropey-ness (yes, that’s a made up word) of Better Than the Movies: enemies to lovers, neighbors to lovers, a fake relationship to make someone else jealous… But the story fell a little flat for me.
I was thrilled for a FMC who was all in for romantic comedies and I actually loved the little snippets at the beginning of each chapter from various rom-com movies. I also loved that Liz’s quirkiness stood out from her high school friends.
Besides that, I found Liz to be immature and thought she could have made wiser choices, particularly when it came to her friends. I haven’t experienced the same grieving process as Liz does in the book, which might explain why I struggle to comprehend her choices.
Wes, on the other hand, was a stand-up guy and I wished I had someone like him in high school. He was kind, caring, funny, thoughtful, and had always been true to his feelings. He even designed and landscaped his parent’s backyard. With twinkly lights!
Wes is the epitome of a book boyfriend.
Holy God, Wes Bennett was kind of a catch, wasn’t he? He listened well, made late-night phone calls, built beautiful firepits that belonged in lifestyle magazines. Wes was a little bit dreamy.
Better Than the Movies, Lynn Painter
Towards the end of the book, it started to feel neverending because the same problems would reoccur: Liz not treating her friends right. Liz not seeing what’s right in front of her. Liz not opening up her heart to Helena (her stepmother) years after her mother’s death.
What redeemed the book for me was pretty much the happy ever after. I thought Lynn Painter did a great job pulling it all together at the end (this is why I read endings first).
Final Thoughts: Better than the Movies by Lynn Painter
Overall, this is a 3.5/star recommend for me. it’s cute, it’s light, it’s fluffy, and it’s single POV (my least favorite). But if that’s what you’re looking for, then Better Than the Movies is your book.
Lynn Painter did a great job of bringing the story full circle and the ending was definitely worth it. If you’re a fan of rom-coms, you’ll appreciate Better Than the Movies!
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